Burning Dreams
by Hikari loves Kurama
Summary: OMG! The dojo is burning down---Can Kenshin find Karu before the roof caves in? [Disclaimer: Do I look like I own RK? Didn't think so!]


"Kenshin! Kenshin!"  
  
Flames licked the blue-black sky of the night, the roar of the fire defining. With a creak of defeat, a tree came crashing to its side, sending sparks flying, setting new small fires on the grass. Sections of roof of the Kamei dojo caved in with a loud "whoosh" and a thunderous explosion. The flames shot higher into the night. The screams of a woman in her early twenties echoed somewhere deep within the building, her terror evident.  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshin!"  
  
"M-Miss Karu!" A figure burst from the flames, his arms shielding his eyes from injury. His long red hair fell beyond his shoulders, his shirt had been hastily thrown on, and was allowed to hang open, swaying slightly around his body in the wind, his bare chest showing. His bare feet padded softly on the wooden porch as he ran, desperate to find another way to get back into the building. As he let his arms fall from his face, his large violet eyes glinting with fear, a cross-shaped scar could be seen on his left cheek. He ducked into an open door, ignoring the obvious danger of the fire. "Miss Karu!" He ran through the halls with speed unmatched by any. His cry went unanswered, causing him to become frantic. "Miss Karu!"  
  
He skidded to a halt infront of a closed door, his hand reaching out for the sliding door's handle. But in his haste, he had ran past it, and franticly tried to turn his body around. His feet slipped, and he fell to the ground. His face slammed onto the floor painfully, stars erupting in his vision. Using his elbow to prop himself up, the redhead stumbled to his feet. He took a few painful steps to the door, his face pulled into a wince. As the door slid open, he let out a breath of relief. "K-Karu!"  
  
The young woman uttered a cry, throwing her arms around the man who had come to her rescue's neck. Her lengthy hair, the hue of the darkened sky, was pulled back into a ponytail that fell to her mid-back. Her kimono was singed, the soft pink fabric blackened in several places. "Oh, Kenshin!"  
  
The man turned his head to the side at a slight fraction, his eye catching a shiny glint. On the woman's arm was a glossy red streak. "Karu, you've been burned!" She released him, lifting the arm in question to her chest, the other hand wrapping around her wrist. She forced a smile on her lips, her eyes straining to keep the tears away.  
  
"I'm fine..." Karu lied quietly, her eyes downcast. Suddenly she lifted her face, fear in her eyes once more, "What about Yahiko?!"  
  
"You need not worry about him, Miss Karu. You ought to think about yourself a bit more, that you should." Kenshin reproved sharply.  
  
"I..." Karu's cheeks colored scarlet as she inclined her head shamefully. Kenshin's hand grasped hers firmly, leading her gently from the room. She gazed around herself wildly, at the burning dojo. She could almost see her dreams ablaze along with it, her dreams of teaching a new generation the art of the Kamei sword style... Karu lifted her uninjured hand to her face to fend off the sparks of orange and red. Kenshin began to speed his pace, pulling her along side him. "Come, Miss Karu, we must hurry! The entire roof is about to fall in!" As she hurried along side him, she felt his urgency become her own. They had to hurry!  
  
She let out a scream of alarm as a wooden beam fell in their path, embers falling all around them. She shook her head from side to side in aghast, her eyes enlarged to the size of rice balls. Kenshin gave her arm a rude wrench, her body jerked in his direction, her dark hair falling from it's bow and cascading acrossed her shoulders. She stumbled into him. Karu felt her wooden sandals lift from the floor as Kenshin picker her up, and, with a light step, leapt over the beam. Upon landing on the other side, he let her down and proceeded to haul her down the hall full tilt. Her clomps echoed in the darkened dojo as she ran.  
  
"We have to get out quickly, that we do! I know it is hard, but you must go faster, Miss Karu!" Kenshin begged, his face stained with soot, long black streaks ran down his face.  
  
Karu pushed herself harder, her muscles screaming in protest, a burning agony flaming up in her legs. "We.. must... go... faster," She told herself firmly. She let her mind, her thoughts, her pain, drain away, her sole focus upon going faster. She wholeheartedly let Kenshin lead her, he knew he would parish before he let her down. He loved her...  
  
The hallway seemed so long, it would take an eternity to find an escape route, they'd burn to cinders before they ever got out! As the hall got longer, their energy drained, and fatigue slowed their steps greatly. They weren't going to make it out...  
  
To be continued... ************************  
  
Did you like it? Please, oh please review! I know it was short, but I'm really stuck! I want to know if my readers want Yahiko to die or not. I love Yahiko, and I don't want him to die, but it would help me get along in the story... I mean, Kenshin got all worked up when Karu mentioned him, so maybe Kenshin knows something and doesn't want to tell her... Yes, I'm just as clueless as to how this will end as you people are! Only about ten percent of the writers around here plan their stories out, and that can sometimes cause them to drift off plot, but... I'm rambling. Sorry ^-^. See the little GO button right down there, press it and tell me what you think! Flames are welcome! 


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